Opinion: In praise of our soldiers

Posted

Issue of August 6, 2010/ 26 Av 5770

By Tara Brafman

On a recent Shabbat, we went to my neighbor for seudah shlishit, the third Shabbat meal, for a celebration. My neighbor’s son, Avi, finished his army service that week and it was his 21st birthday as well. All the neighbors were there, plus about 10 or 12 of his buddies, most of whom also just completed their service. They’ve been good friends for years and they all went to high school together here in Efrat (some have been close since elementary school).

It was nice to see all these young men smiling and relaxing. Two of the fathers spoke and one boy gave a Dvar Torah. I couldn’t help but notice how some of the boys are olim from America, native English-speakers. Another boy was olive-skinned with dark hair; another, British born, had red hair and a fair complexion. All were now Israeli soldiers, no matter where they were born or what language they spoke. One boy’s mother sat next to me and we struck up a conversation. She was born and raised in Poughkeepsie, NY, and made aliyah 24 years ago. She has two other sons in the army and two younger kids at home. We were talking about what comes next and what her son will be doing post-army. She pointed out one boy who will be getting married next month (so young!). Another boy, a stereotypical, tanned, handsome Israeli soldier, sitting on the end of the couch, will be staying in the army. That boy was her son’s closest friend.

“He’s in intelligence,” she whispered.

“What does he do?” I asked.

“He can’t tell us,” she answered. “Even his own parents don’t know. All we know is that he spends most of each week somewhere in Europe.”

I looked around at these young guys and I thought of all the awesome responsibility they have on their shoulders. A week earlier, half of them were patrolling the Gaza border. They have so much experience behind them, and they are barely out of their teens.

It is such a beautiful thing to see these young men, who know how to learn a gemarah, and who also know how to shoot a gun and fix a tank; who wear their olive green uniforms with their tzitzit hanging out and their kippot on their heads; who are mature enough to settle down and marry at 21, or go off on some secret mission in Europe on behalf of our country. It is just amazing. I think of where I was at this age, and where the average 20 or 21 year old American kid is, and I feel a burst of pride in these boys. They are, simply put, the cream of the crop.

I know that Israel is consistently portrayed in the media as the aggressor, and the soldiers are “occupiers” and “coldhearted” — but these portrayals are the distortions of a hateful and twisted media. The soldiers who give 3 years of their lives to protect Israel and keep us safe, are these boys who I sat with weeks ago. These smart, sweet young men - and thousands of other young men and women like them - are keeping Israel safe for all of us, Jews both here in Israel and in America, and we need to all recognize that.

Tara Brafman lives in Efrat, Israel with her family.